Eccentric truss



Feb. 4, 1936- J. wj BUCKLEY 9 3 ECGENTRIC TRUSS Filed April 4, 1935 @LW. BUCEY INVEN TOR.

A TORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to eccentric trusses and more particularly to a truss which is adapted to automatically adjust itself to exert an upward or lifting pressure against the ruptured part of the body of the user. The object is to provide a simple and inexpensive truss for the protection of persons afflicted with hernia or other ruptures.

An advantage of this truss is that the pad holding member is so arranged as to coact with the belt to serve as a leverage against the body to force the pad against the rupture with the correct amount of pressure. Another advantage of this invention is that the truss is adapted to conform with the body of the user during his normal movements so as to keep in alinement and maintain the correct pressure against the injured portion.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the specification and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the truss.

Fig. 2 is a face View of the truss bar, showing a variation in the design thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device placed on the patient.

Fig. 5 is a similar view in diagrammatic form to illustrate the leverage principle of the truss.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The truss consists of a frame or pad holding bar I, each end of which is provided with a body spring member 2 made rigid therewith and adapted to extend around the sides of the patient. The body springs 2 are held around the body of the patient by means of rear strap connections or any suitable connection which provides adjustment. The plan View of the bar 2 is preferably curved or bent to conform with the curvature of the body of the patient. The side elevation of the bar may vary in form, as shown in Fig. 2, except that portion adjacent the springs 2.

It has been found that the usual structure of a truss does not provide more than a direct pull of the belt against the pad which is not sufficient in all cases to provide the necessary pressure against the rupture. In order to attain the correct pressure I have formed the pad holding member of the belt so that it will first engage the body of the patient in such a manner as to cause a leverage action on the pad when the belt is drawn up and fastened around the patient at the correct tension. The portion of the bar adjacent each of its connections with the clamping members 2 is raised above the plane of the members and formed to contact with the body of the patient. Between the raised portions 9 of the bar I is placed a pad. The pad may be rigidly attached to the bar I or it may be adjustably mounted thereon by means of a bracket 6. The pad 4, in this instance is preferably suspended below the bar so that it lies below the plane of the belt and its members 2. This structure and placing the pad 4 below the plane of the belt permits the bar I to coact with the belt to cause a leverage movement of the pad 4 against the body of the patient, thus insuring positive and correct pressure of the pad 4 against the body during all normal movements and positions of the patient. This structure also causes a swinging action of the pad 4 which lifts and supports the rupture.

The bar 9 may be provided with elongated slots 3 in the face thereof for attaching the pad bracket 6. The bracket 6 is bolted to the bar by means of a bolt 8 which passes through the bracket 6 and the slot 3 of the bar I. The elongated slot 3 permits lateral adjustment of the pad 4 on the bar I. The bracket 6 is adjustably attached to the pad 4 by means of a bolt connection I which passes through a slot 5 in the bracket 6. The slot 5 permits vertical adjustment of the pad 4 relative the bar l. A flap 4 may be provided on the pad 4 for extending over the bar I and protecting the patient from the metallic structure of the belt adjacent the pad. When the pad is positioned adjacent the portion 9 of the bar I, as shown in Fig. 1, the flap 4 also protects that portion Q of the bar and serves as a shield between the bar l and the patient.

' It is apparent that various forms of bars I may be used on the truss that will serve to con tact with the body of the patient in such a manner as to act as a lever in order to aline and force the pad to its proper place for supporting the rupture. It has been found that this type of truss does not wholly depend upon the tension of the belt or posture of the patient to attain the desired result, because the major parts of this belt coact with each other to attain this result.

What I claim, is:

1. In a truss of the class described consisting of a belt having clamping side members for engaging the body of a patient, a front bar carried by said members and made rigid therewith and adapted to engage the body above the plane of said belt adjacent each of its points of contact with said belt, and a pad carried by said bar and adapted to engage said body below the plane of said belt, said front bar being adapted to swing from its normal position and cause a twisting movement of said side members when the pressure is increased on said truss, whereby said front bar will cause a greater pressure of said pad against the patient.

2. A truss comprising a belt having side mem- 10 bers provided with a pad holding front bar made rigid therewith, means for adjustably securing a pad to said bar so that it will contact with the patient below the plane of said belt, said bar being formed so that it has contact with said patient above the plane of said belt and adjacent said members, whereby an increase of pressure on said belt will cause the bar contact with the patient to serve as a leverage for increasing the pressure of said pad against the patient.

JAMES W. BUCKLEY. 

